


Disasters Are Lovely, Too

by ProfessionalCatFan (idemandahug)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Awkward Dates, Canon Compliant, Double Dating, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Multi, Post-Canon, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-11-09 21:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11113305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idemandahug/pseuds/ProfessionalCatFan
Summary: If a double date will make Haru happy, then Makoto is determined to make it work.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [obstinateRixatrix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/obstinateRixatrix/gifts).



> A fic about dorks in love. This will probably only be about 3 chapters long.

_Her smile is soft, even as she stares with vulnerable eyes. A strand of hair has fallen across her face, which is stained with mud from gardening. At that moment, Haru is truly the most beautiful girl Makoto has ever seen._

_“I’m sorry, I’m just being selfish. Please forget about this, Mako-chan.”_

_Haru turns with a sad sort of finality, as if she will vanish the moment Makoto loses sight of her, as if her guileless eyes will fill with tears and she will cry and cry once no one is watching._

_Without thinking, moving on pure feeling, Makoto lurches forward and wraps her arms around Haru’s soft frame. She hears Haru gasp, a gentle noise, as she faces her._

_“I…” For some reason, Makoto holds back tears. Perhaps she is overwhelmed, or terrified as she lets her heart explore a distant, unfamiliar land. Or maybe she is simply happy. “I love you, too.”_

_Haru is silent. She circles her arms around Makoto’s waist._

_In some extravagant romantic movie, this is the point where they lean in for a long kiss. But neither of them move. Makoto is content with a simple hug, as is Haru._

_And so begins the relationship of Makoto and Haru._

* * *

 

After 3 months of dating, Makoto is fairly certain she understands Haru better than most people. And yet, she has no idea where to take Haru on their next date.

She sits at a secluded table in LeBlanc, the taste of curry in the air, Sojiro humming to himself as he works behind the counter, and as she takes another sip of coffee she stares down at the list in front of her. It is a collection of date suggestions, most of them crossed out. Sighing, Makoto draws a line through ‘beach’ with her favourite red pen. The forecast predicts heavy rain for most of the week; even now the rain lashes at LeBlanc’s windows. She crosses off ‘fireworks festival’ for the same reason, images of the previous year flashing in her mind.

Makoto could write a detailed list on why she loves Haru—In fact she already has, multiple times. Haru, who brings her homegrown vegetables and flowers, and makes sure to message her ‘good morning’ and ‘goodnight’ every day. Haru, who plans wonderful dates ranging from a picnic at the park to expensive restaurants that awe Makoto every time. Haru never fails to make Makoto’s heart flutter. But when Makoto adds more entries to her _‘Why Haru Okumura is perfect’_ list, Makoto finds herself worrying. It isn’t as if she’s jealous or envious; it isn’t a bitter feeling at all. No, Makoto feels she isn’t good enough for Haru. Her girlfriend is amazing, sweet, and wonderful. Makoto is lucky just for meeting her. But Makoto often wonders if she has nothing to offer Haru. Everything she does seems laughably small compared to what Haru deserves.

She runs her hands through her hair, making a frustrated grunt that draws a confused look from Akira. He has returned to Yongen for the summer and works part time at LeBlanc for these few weeks; with the ex-phantom thieves meeting up and laughing together, it feels as though he never left.

“Is everything okay?” he asks sympathetically, knowing everything is not okay. At Makoto’s request, he lent her the many different guides to dating and hang out spots he gathered over the previous year. Makoto doesn’t know why or how he collected so many, but decides not to question it.

“I just… don’t know what to do.” Makoto sounds almost defeated. Almost. She grabs another magazine, furiously underlining, scribbling down more date ideas.

“I don’t think you need to worry about this so much.” Noticing she’s reached the dregs of her coffee, Akira goes to brew her another cup. “Haru will love anything you plan for her.”

 The look she gives him is close to helpless. She wants to argue that he just doesn’t understand, but then, maybe he understands all too well.

“This is the first time I’ve ever dated someone,” Makoto says, sighing. “I’m so scared I’m going to mess up somehow. This isn’t like studying for an exam: exam questions have an answer even if it seems difficult, but… With romance, there’s no clear answer. I don’t have textbooks or other references. Everyone I ask gives me different and sometimes conflicting advice. I just want to make this date perfect, for Haru’s sake, but I’m so lost.” She shakes her head with a self-deprecating smile. “Maybe I’m just out of my depth.”

Akira opens his mouth, but then the door swings open and Ryuji, completely soaked, charges inside with the force of a bull. He stumbles to a stop and slams his hands on the counter, making the coffee pots wobble.

“Hey, Boss! Please tell me you have a job opening!”

* * *

 

After a full ten minutes of bargaining and begging, Ryuji grumbles as he sits opposite Makoto, nursing a glass of cola Sojiro poured him out of pity. His hair is dishevelled and he’s wearing his jacket inside out, and in any other situation Makoto would have told him to fix his appearance.

“Ugh. This was the only other place I could think of…”

“Why are you looking for a job?” Makoto finds herself asking, because while Ryuji mentioned job hunting once or twice this is the first time he seemed so desperate.

“It’s not important,” Ryuji mutters, drumming his fingers against the table.

Makoto puts her pen down.

“Tell me. Are you having financial issues? You don’t owe someone money, do you?”

“N-no, of course not!”

“It’s a love problem.” Morgana is sitting on the barstool closest to their table, his voice teasing. He gives what must be a grin when Ryuji glares. “Ryuji said he’d take Yusuke out somewhere nice, but he forgot he doesn’t have any money. He’s been running all over Shibuya looking for a job.”

“Damn furball…”

“So, this is for Yusuke-kun?” Makoto asks. “Last time you took him to Ogikubo, right? Yusuke-kun seemed to enjoy that.”

“Yeah, but I can’t take him to the same place twice in a row! I might not know much about dating, but even I know that’d make me a shitty boyfriend.” Ryuji slumps down in his chair, almost disappearing below the table. “Besides, Yusuke deserves better. Much better than anything I can give him, anyway…”

Makoto scrambles for the right words, but Ryuji has surprised her. Aside from the occasional bickering, Ryuji and Yusuke’s relationship never seems to have issues. They simply move at their own pace despite their lack of experience, and while they aren’t publicly affectionately little gestures such as Yusuke reaching for Ryuji’s hand and Ryuji slinging an arm around Yusuke’s shoulders tells the others all they need to know. Makoto truly didn’t realise Ryuji feels this way.

Then, the door opens again. Makoto’s eyes widen at the sight of Yusuke, who is dripping from the rain and holding a bag of groceries. Akira gives him a sympathetic nod, and Sojiro sighs and goes to brew more coffee. Despite their conversation, Makoto sees Ryuji smile. It seems he can’t stay sad in Yusuke’s presence.

“Hey, Yusuke! Over here!” Twisting in his seat, Ryuji waves him over. Yusuke’s face lights up.

“Ah, Ryuji. Fate must truly smile on me if I can happen upon you like this.”

Ryuji grins. “Yeah, I’m happy to see you, too.”

“You’re soaked,” Makoto says. “Why didn’t you take an umbrella?”

“I couldn’t.” Yusuke shakes his head, wet hair clinging to his forehead as he sits next to Ryuji. “The other day, a sudden gust of wind ripped my umbrella right out of my hands. I’ve searched all across Shibuya, but I haven’t been able to find it.”

“You should have bought a new one,” Makoto tells him sternly. “You must have seen the weather forecast: it’s going to rain all week.”

“I don’t have enough money. You see, I bought this lovely set of paintbrushes last week and— Oh, thank you,” Yusuke says, as Akira sets down his mug of coffee.

“Well, you know…” Ryuji leans back, trying to sound casual and failing. “I wouldn’t mind sharing an umbrella with you.”

Yusuke blinks at him, and Ryuji looks away with a red face. Before the moment can truly set in, Morgana pipes up with, “You didn’t bring an umbrella, Ryuji.”

“Shut up! Anyway, I um… I have a jacket!” To demonstrate, Ryuji lifts his jacket up so it covers both his and Yusuke’s heads. Yusuke chuckles.

Makoto does her best to smile, too, but watching the two of them only makes her earlier worries resurface. She looks down at her failed list of date ideas and sighs.

“What am I going to do? Haru’s supposed to meet me here in 10 minutes, and I haven’t thought of anything!”

“Oh, you planning a date with Haru?” Ryuji glances at her list, and frowns. “Hey, why’d you cross out Dome Town? The amusement park there’s great!”

“No. If it started raining then that would ruin everything.”

“Oh, what about the Milton Buffet? The food there was amazing!” Morgana chirps.

“My budget isn’t big enough for that,” Makoto says, shaking her head. “And I’d hate to make Haru pay for it. This is supposed to be the perfect date for Haru, something to thank her for all she’s done for me…”

“A buffet, hm…” For a moment, Yusuke is lost in a fantasy of food. “Well, there’s that lovely museum in Ueno. The planetarium in Ikebukuro is also quite beautiful. Actually, Ryuji, I’d love to go there again sometime.”

“Hey, guys,” Akira speaks suddenly, and everyone’s eyes fall on him. He tilts his head, looking at them with an oddly serious expression. “Why don’t you just go on a double date?”

Seconds pass in silence. The first to speak is Makoto, who at first can only stare.

“E… Excuse me?”

“A double date,” Akira repeats. “As in, you and Haru, and Ryuji and Yusuke, go on a date together. If you split the cost between the four of you, then you could probably go somewhere nice.”

“I don’t know,” Makoto says, crossing her arms. “I’m inexperienced enough with dating as it is. I feel like I have enough to worry about right now.”

“Yeah, and a double date sounds like a disaster waiting to happen,” Ryuji adds.

“It’s true, a lot could go wrong. But,” Yusuke says with a smile, “I must admit, a double date does sound interesting.”

“Oh, a double date?”

No one noticed the front door open, and now Haru is standing there, beaming as she walks in on half a conversation.

“A double date sounds wonderful! Mako-chan, is that what we’re doing?”

Makoto looks at Haru, perfect, lovely Haru, with her fluffy hair drooping somewhat from the rain and her face shining with delight. Makoto tries to match her smile.

“That’s right, Haru,” she says, ignoring Ryuji’s alarmed expression. “We’ve decided to go on a double date.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took too long for me to write, and I'm very sorry. I hope people can enjoy it regardless.

When Makoto draws back the curtains that morning to the sight of cascading rain, she sends a silent prayer that this isn’t an omen of some sorts. After a quick breakfast, nerves dissolving any hunger, she puts on her best outfit and some light make-up before preparing her umbrella. Her face must have been particularly grim, because her sister of all people reminds her, “Relax, and be yourself,” as she steps outside.

The four of them decided to do something simple for the double date: watch a movie. The movie theatre is a classic date location, with many film options as well as food and drinks, and also safe from the rain. Later the four of them could discuss the movie, giving them ample conversation material. Yes, the movie theatre seemed like the best way to avoid disaster.

She takes the train into Shibuya, a brief respite from the downpour outside. And as the world passes by, Makoto squeezes her eyes shut and sighs, unable to shake the lingering dread. By itself, a movie theatre date is a great idea, and when Haru said there was a movie she wanted to see they were all happy to oblige her. Then she said the title, and it was at that point Makoto remembered Haru’s favourite kind of movie. Ryuji and Yusuke seemed to have no problems, so, not wanting to let her girlfriend down, Makoto agreed to the suggestion.

There’s no one to blame but herself, she supposes, as the train and its passengers sway around her. A few months ago now the two of them discussed films they liked, and Haru admitted she enjoyed horror. When she shyly asked what Makoto thought of the genre, clearing expecting her to dislike it, Makoto spoke without thinking and said she loved horror movies. A reckless move she regrets more than ever now that she has to face the consequences. Had she told the truth, Haru would never have suggested such a movie.

Makoto tries to think positively as she leaves the train. She has absolutely no reason to be scared. The reviews might be calling it the ‘scariest movie of the year,’ but that must be hyperbole. Thinking about it logically, it’s an impossible claim; everyone has a different view on what is or isn’t scary, and the year is far from over. Besides, horror movies have almost no basis in reality, being filled with ghosts, curses, and more blood than could conceivably exist inside the human body. All she needs to do is carefully analyse any unrealistic aspects as she watches the movie, and her fear will immediately vanish.

By the time she finds Haru at the train station, Makoto is wearing a smile. The two of them agreed to meet at the station before going to the movie theatre, where Ryuji and Yusuke would be waiting. She looks especially cute today, but then, with how blinded by love Makoto is, Haru could wear almost anything and look adorable to Makoto.

Makoto calls to Haru, who’s face lights up before she hurries towards her.

“Mako-chan! I’m so happy to see you!” she says, voice brimming with joy. She’s holding an umbrella, a necessity considering the weather.

“Haru…” Makoto beams, but then notices her rather pale face. Dark circles rest under her eyes. “Are you okay? You look tired.”

“Hm? Oh! I had some trouble sleeping last night; I was just so excited about today, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

“Will you be all right?” Makoto asks, concerned. She puts her arm around Haru’s shoulder, a touch of affection she does without thinking, forgetting the strangers passing by. Surprised yet also pleased, Haru’s face flushes with colour. “We can rest here for a bit if you need to. We have plenty of time.”

“I’m fine, Mako-chan. I promise.”

After studying her face for a moment longer, Makoto relents with a sigh. Together, the two of them leave the train station and enter the drenched city, now surrounded by both bright and dull umbrellas on all sides. Their feet splash against the pavement, and Makoto takes in the fresh sent of the rain.

Makoto and Haru walk side by side, engaging in comfortable conversation and simply enjoying each other’s company. It’s a quiet moment, but still precious, and Makoto hopes they can continue sharing moments like this for as long as possible. She glances at Haru to find her expression is somewhat distant; Makoto wonders if Haru is wishing for the same.

As the rain lightens, it occurs to Makoto that perhaps she and Haru should be sharing an umbrella. It’s a common romance trope, appearing in almost all the shoujo manga she’s studied. Even Ryuji mentioned something about sharing an umbrella with Yusuke the other day. Perhaps she should have planned ahead. But in that case, one of them would have been forced to arrive at the train station without an umbrella. Could one of them have journeyed to the other’s house, umbrella at the ready so they could travel together from the beginning? Should Makoto have considered that option in the first place? Meeting each other half way seemed like the most practical answer—they both faced a short and relatively cheap train journey–but now Makoto’s worried that she’s sacrificed any romantic atmosphere as a result.

Then Haru links her arm through Makoto, who gasps as the sudden contact pulls her from her thoughts. Haru smiles, and suddenly Makoto can’t hear the rain anymore.

“Thank you so much, Mako-chan.”

“H-huh? I… I haven’t done anything, though.”

Haru giggles. “Don’t be silly. You always do so much for me.”

Blushing, Makoto looks away.

The movie theatre is rather crowded; perhaps people are taking shelter from the rain. The air is filled with the chatter of various couples and groups, and the smell of popcorn. With the unpleasant proximity of so many people, Makoto stands on her toes in search of Ryuji and Yusuke. It doesn’t take long to find them: Ryuji’s blond hair is often a striking sight, and Yusuke’s height makes him easy to find. She calls to them, and sees Ryuji grin and wave.

“Yo! Makoto! Haru!”

“Ah, so the two of you have arrived.” Yusuke gives them a pleased smile as he and Ryuji brave the crowd to greet them. “I trust you are ready for our double date?”

“Of course! I’m so excited!” Haru puts her hands together, beaming. Makoto, on the other hand, begins to frown. Ryuji seems to be wearing the same clothes he’d wear on any other day; casual and rough. Despite being on a date with Yusuke, he hasn’t worked hard on his appearance, a fact that almost frustrates Makoto. Yusuke, at least, seems to have tried, though his usual fashion sense ranges from elegant to cheap and paint smeared—this could easily be his normal attire.

Ryuji bristled under Makoto’s disappointed gaze.

“What? Were you expecting me to wear a full tux and tie?”

“No, but… I just…” Makoto shakes her head and turns to Yusuke for help. “Yusuke-kun? Don’t you want your boyfriend to put a bit more effort? You two _are_ on a date.”

“On the contrary,” Yusuke says with a smile, “He just wouldn’t be Ryuji if he forced himself into a more refined outfit. While aesthetically appealing, it would simply lack his passionate soul. Besides, I think that boisterous, haphazard look is part of his charm.”

“Yeah!” says Ryuji. Then, “Wait, is ‘haphazard’ a good thing?”

* * *

 

Inside the dark screening room, advertisements play as people slowly file inside. Their seats are in the middle, as the four of them sit in the order of Makoto, Haru, Yusuke, and Ryuji. Makoto digs her fingers into the arm rest: her apprehension is building once again. She tells herself she’s watching this movie for Haru, and hopes that will be enough to strengthen her resolve.

She glances at her companions. Haru and Ryuji have bought popcorn; Ryuji’s popcorn is salted, while Haru was utterly captivated by the bizarre flavours and settled on ‘wasabi beef.’ At the end of the row, Yusuke seems to be staring intently at the ice-cream he bought. He seems to be pushing it around, rather than eating. Makoto remembers how captivated he was by the small bowls, though he grumbled about the scoops not being ‘beautifully shaped.’

Haru must have noticed Makoto’s gaze, because she holds the popcorn bag towards her.

“Would you like to try some? It’s really delicious!”

Makoto considers this. She’s cautious of the strange flavour, but she supposes there’s no harm in trying a small piece—and, more importantly, accepting the offer will make Haru happy. However, before she can give any response, Ryuji’s incredulous voice yells out, “Dude, what are you doing?!”

Makoto and Haru look towards their friends. Yusuke, it seems, has been busy sculpting his ice cream. Using nothing more than the wooden spoon, he’s somehow managed to carve the ice cream into the shape of a swan. Makoto can see the lumps of blueberry and banana. It’s an impressive feat, considering he only had three scoops to work with, as well as the dim lighting, but Makoto can only sigh.

“Yusuke-kun…” Makoto sighs. “Please don’t play with your food.”

“’Play’?” Yusuke repeats in disdain. “I am not playing. I am experimenting with a different form of art.”

Haru claps her hands together. “I didn’t realise ice-cream could be used for art! How wonderful!”

“Why, thank you. Although…” Yusuke’s expression darkens, as if genuinely troubled. “This will melt, won’t it?”

“Duh.” Ryuji, somehow, doesn’t seem surprised. “Hey, it’s fine. I’ve got my phone—want me to take a picture?”

“No. A photo can only depict 3D art from one angle, and the lighting here is dreadful.”

“Also,” Haru adds, a little worried, “I thought that cell phones were not allowed inside the movie theatre.”

“Well yeah, but the movie’s not even started yet.”

Yusuke stands with a dramatic sort of suddenness, clutching his bowl of ice-cream to his chest. “I must return home immediately! There I can put this ice-cream sculpture inside my fridge, where it will be safe.”

“That’s not going to work. Sit down, Yusuke-kun. People are staring,” Makoto tells him, sternly. “You need to think about this logically. If you leave now you’ll miss the movie, and I’m almost certain the ice cream will melt before you’re even half way home.”

“And that would be a terrible waste of ice-cream,” Haru says. Yusuke nods reluctantly and sinks back into his seat. Though it clearly hadn’t occurred to him, he is in no position to waste food or money.  

In the end, Ryuji takes pictures of the ice-cream swan from as many angles as it takes to satisfy Yusuke. With the temporary sculpture forever immortalised on Ryuji’s phone, Yusuke begins to eat his tiny masterpiece with a forlorn expression.

“Cheer up,” Ryuji says, putting a hand around Yusuke’s back. “I’ll buy as much ice-cream as you want later, okay?”

Silence falls over the crowded theatre; Makoto looks up with a sinking heart to see the movie has begun. Haru leans forward in her seat, eyes shining, and Makoto tries to remember what she told herself earlier, that the movie will be completely unrealistic and silly and could never happen in real life. She’s already risked her life fighting shadows an impossible number of times. Surely, if she can fight monsters without the slightest hesitation, she can watch one horror movie.

Makoto holds her head up high and declares, “I’m not afraid.”

Half an hour later, Makoto has curled in on herself. Trembling, she squeezes her eyes shut and covers her ears. The screams manage to seep past these defences, followed by various unpleasant noises that make Makoto whimper. She’s mildly aware that Haru is enjoying every minute of the onscreen horror. Unlike her, Haru anticipates the scares, jumping and then giggling with that soft laugh Makoto loves so much. But it doesn’t match the movie’s chilling music and sounds, like birdsong next to the cawing of vultures.

“This is so messed up,” Ryuji groans. He lurches forward and practically yells, “Seriously, why the hell is she going in there?! She’s gonna effin’ die!” This outburst is met with various shushes and glares from the other audience members. Ryuji slumps back, face burning red.

Though she doesn’t say it, Makoto actually agrees. What she hates about horror movies—aside from the suffocating terror, of course—is the stupid decisions of the main cast. They defy all logic, another strike against the genre in Makoto’s eyes. Analysing the movie, considering where the characters went wrong and why, could be an interesting exercise. But that would involve looking at the screen, and at that moment Makoto just can’t muster the courage.

“This is truly unpleasant.” Yusuke looks miserable. Hoping he doesn’t feel sick, Makoto glances at him sympathetically. “Such a horrible experience… Is there some appeal to fear I fail to understand?”

Guilt flashes across Haru’s face, perhaps worried she is the only one enjoying the film. Makoto scrambles to say something, but then Yusuke leans forward with a look of intense concentration.

“…Hm. Then, perhaps…” A smile forms, and suddenly all traces of discomfort vanish. “Yes, I see now. Despite the subject matter, the mise en scène is quite professional.  Every prop, score, and even subtle changes in the lighting are designed solely to unnerve the audience. Such attention to detail! It’s possible even these kinds of films can be considered a kind of art… How intriguing.”

“You like it?” Haru’s keeps her voice quiet, but her excitement is clear. “There are some amazing horror movies out there; I would be happy to make some recommendations. Oh, only if you’re interested, of course.”

Then, a phone rings. More specifically, Ryuji’s cell phone. It seems he didn’t turn it off after taking pictures of Yusuke’s ice cream sculpture. He jolts and yanks his phone from his pocket, glares and complaints falling on him once again.

“Who the hell is calling me?!” He scowls at the caller ID—and his eyes widen. Sheepish, he looks at his friends and stands. “It’s, um, it’s my mom. Sorry, I’ve got to take this.” He ducks his head and rushes out the movie theatre, his face flushing a more intense red than before.

Makoto watches him leave and feels another piece of hope vanish. In her eyes, she’d already lost Yusuke as an ally in this battle against the horror movie. Now Ryuji is gone, and with there being another hour of the movie left she doesn’t know if she can make it to the end. She needs a new strategy. Her full-force attack in the beginning didn’t work, and the defensive approach is failing, too. She doesn’t see any way to emerge from the battle triumphant, but maybe she can make a tactical retreat, perhaps say she needs to make a phone call, or use the bathroom, or—

Something touches her hand. All logic vanishes; she shrieks and rips her hand away. It takes a moment of mindless panic before she realises Haru was trying to hold her hand.

“I, um…” Haru stammers. “I’m sorry, Mako-chan. I didn’t…”

Makoto stands, face burning with shame, and runs. She slams through the double doors, steadies herself on the nearest solid wall, and breathes.

So much for a tactical retreat. How pathetic. All she wanted from this double date was to make Haru happy, yet she can’t even do that much.

“Yeah, mom, I know I talk about him all the time. Look, I’ll see you later, okay?” It seems Ryuji has finished his phone call. His eyes fall on Makoto. He blinks at her, clearly surprised. “Makoto? You all right?”

“I’m… fine.”

“You sure? You look like you’re gonna cry.”

She quickly wipes her eyes. “Don’t worry. Is your mother okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. She just told me to pick up some groceries on the way home. I said I’d bring Yusuke round tonight, so she’s all excited and says she wants to throw some surprise party for my boyfriend, and—” He freezes, eyes on something behind Makoto. “Well, guess it’s not a surprise anymore,” he mumbles.

“Mako-chan!”

Makoto turns to see Haru and Yusuke have left the movie as well. Haru runs to her, eyes full of unneeded apologies that twist at Makoto’s heart. Apparently flustered after hearing Ryuji, Yusuke moves a little slower.

“Haru? What are you doing here? You’re going to miss the movie.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Haru declares. “I can’t just stand by while the one I love is upset!”

 Stunned, Makoto feels herself tearing up for a very different reason.

Haru shuffles her feet, glancing away with pink cheeks. “I… I suppose you dislike horror movies? I wish you told me before.”

“I’m sorry, Haru.”

“No, it’s not just you, Mako-chan. Ryuji-kun, Yusuke-kun, when I suggested this film, that’s all it was: a suggestion. You said you wanted to see it, too, so I thought it was okay. Had one of you raised an objection, I would have been happy to do something else. Do… Do all of you think I’m so fragile that you can’t offer any conflicting opinion?”

“Well, um,” Ryuji mumbles. “To be honest, I didn’t know what kind of move it was. I just figured if you guys wanted to see it then it must’ve been good.”

“My reason is similar, unfortunately,” Yusuke says.

“And I… I didn’t want to disappoint you.” Makoto sighs. Despite the very real fear, it all suddenly seems so silly. “I know I should have just talked to you about it; I was just so scared you’d think I was pathetic. But in the end, I suppose I only proved how pathetic I really am. I’ve really let you down, Haru. I’m sorry.”

And Haru hugs her.

“I love you so much.” Haru’s voice is shaking as she rests her head against her girlfriend’s shoulder. “You’re wonderful. I always worry you deserve better than me. That’s why… Please don’t say such horrible things about yourself, Mako-chan. Sacrificing your own needs and emotions for my sake won’t make me happy, because _you_ make me happy. I really, really love you.”

Makoto goes rigid, then carefully wraps her arms around Haru’s waist. She thinks she hears Ryuji mumbles a confused, “Um, should we be hugging, too?” To which Yusuke replies, “I would not be opposed to the idea.”

Are people staring? Oddly, Makoto can’t bring herself to care.


End file.
